If you were looking for a small automobile in the late 1960s and had an affinity for Buicks, your choices were satisfied by imports from Opel. General Motors had a stake in Opel (West Germany) from 1929 to 2017, and Buick didn’t have a domestic equivalent of a small car from 1964 to 1972. The Kadett B was sold between 1965 and 1973, and it included a 2-door station wagon like the one offered by the seller. Not running, this project or parts car can be found in Mountain Home, Idaho, and is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $800 OBO. Our thanks go to Steve Hudson for this tip.
Buick’s connection with Opel dates to 1958, but the need for the car was probably curtailed when Buick introduced its own compact, the Special, in 1961. However, that car was moved up to mid-size status in 1964, so Buick was back to peddling Opels and did so until 1975. The Kadett B was not a run-of-the-mill econobox and was considered “stylish” in its own right on its home turf. In the 1970s, Buick’s Opel focus seemed to be on the GT, which was a 2-door sports car that resembled a small Chevy Corvette.
The seller’s ’69 Kadett B is a wagon that’s been sitting for a long time. At one point, the seller got the engine to crank, but now its carburetor has been removed and is MIA. Under the hood is an inline-4 which could be as small as 1.1 liters, and we’re told it’s hooked up to an automatic transmission. The odometer may have seen 100,000 miles come and go.
While the red paint is faded, we’re told the body is “super straight” (yet with some rust in the rocker panels). Yet the seller suggests it could clean up well enough. The interior is pretty beat up, but some elbow grease could help there, too. There is no title to accompany the sale of the car, so you’ll have to go through that DMV process. With the purchase, you’ll get four new tires, though. The price suggests this is a parts car, but perhaps it could be saved?
Sooner or later one of these is bound to grace the screen.I sent in a tip about an Opel coupe from the Milw. area, in pristine condition, that was miraculously not accepted( dig), for $13,500, now reduced to $10,500( crickets), das Opel, is not a 5 figure car. I had several Opels, all good cars. This car has the 1.9 CIH( cam in head), about 90hp. kind of a half reared OHC, they made a 1.5 also, but we didn’t see them. The 1.1 the author refers to is the tiny pushrod motor, some had twin carbs, but the 1.9 was most common. This used a transmission called the Strasbourg 180, made in France, but was adequate. I had a ’68 Opel Rallye “Mini-Brute”, that was very similar to this car, only a 4 speed. That was a fun little car. I replaced the dismal Solex( and no surprise this one is missing) and put a Pinto( Autolite) 2 barrel, with much better results. I had a wagon like this, only a ’67, with the 1.1, single carb, 4 speed, and I tell you what, that car did the best holeshots, 1st away every time, for about 30 feet. Otherwise it was a tin can, and a poor offering. However, we must remember, in the 60s, choices for smaller cars were limited, with Asian cars a few years away, it was Fiat, Renault, VW, and Opel. That was about it. Great find, I think. I’d check the front suspension stubs that rust, the motor was one of Opels most popular engines. I think there was a CIH 6 cylinder for trucks too. I know of people that put a lot of miles on an Opel, they were good cars.
We did see the 1.5 CIH Opel engines… My first car, okay second car was an 1968 Opel Kadett with a 1.5. Just one of many after that one!!
68 to 70 Opel Kadett Rallye is a desire!! In Bronze…
I went & looked at a nice,older Kadett wagon that was being sold by a
friend of our Daughter.They got it from their relatives,& wanted something like $500 for it.It had an 1100 cc engine,& I passed,as it was just way too under-
powered.
The IDIOT guy who lived behind us bought it.He & a friend of his got
drunk & decided that it’d be cool to ram with a beater 4WD pickup.I think
it then went to the local wrecking yard.If I’d known that was going to happen,
I would have bought it.
I also has a Rallye Kadett offered to me for free,but passed as I had way too many cars at the time.What was I thinking?
I love the Kadettes, a friend had a wagon and a two door and I loved riding in them. Another buddy had a mint bronze Manta and it was a pleasure to drive. If I only had the money and time.
We had a bronze wagon and a white one. Both manual transmissions. We drove them back and forth to school. Blew a head gasket on one of them. Those head bolts took a special spline socket I believe.
always thought these were cool. have not seen 1 in 50yrs+.
I had to replace a clutch in an Opel GT 1.9L once. As I recall, it had a torque tube, a real PIA
Back in the summer of 67 between my sophmore and junior years in college, a rising senior was leaving for the summer and asked me to take care of his 1959 or 1960 Opel wagon. It was dark maroon and had the rectangular grill rather the oval one. 4 on the tree. At 120-130 KM (must have been imported from Europe) on the Dan Ryan with 5 people, it was an ‘interesting’ experience. I had the oil changed at the Chevy dealership where I was working, but he was annoyed that didn’t do his brakes. I was not yet versed in auto mechanics and couldn’t afford to pay someone to do it, so I figured, he didn’t have to pay someone to store his car….that was enough payment for using it. I did drive the hell out of it :-). Not one that I would fancy today.
Ugh. An automatic. If you’re heading up town, pack a lunch.
My sister had a 67 wagon to go to college from PA to MO. She pounded the heck out of it going back and forth and it never missed a beat. Sold it to a friend out there when she graduated and my dad bought her a 68 Datsun 1600 to come home in. She was a spoiled brat.
I had a 64 same color with 6volt system. Hope these were updated.